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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · safe · fall · march · dip · spell · cue · craft

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spell — magic
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. cue — for pool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spell — letters
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. march — music
  15. spell — a short time
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — to sink
  18. march — the month
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com