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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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Word bank
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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: craft · pitcher · cabinet · spell · cap · snap · staff · hand

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — magic
  8. hand — help
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. craft — a skill
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spell — a short time
  19. staff — employees
  20. craft — boats
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spell — letters
  23. staff — employees
  24. snap — to click

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