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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mate — a friend
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cell — in biology
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. last — finally
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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