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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. last — final
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. last — to go on
  8. craft — a skill
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. deal — to handle
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pass — a permit
  14. last — finally
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. toast — bread
  18. arm — part of the body

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