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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spell — magic
  5. mug — a face
  6. roll — a cake
  7. spell — letters
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. spell — a short time
  14. key — the most important part
  15. craft — boats
  16. roll — a list
  17. mug — to rob
  18. craft — a skill
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. key — in music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. key — for a lock

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