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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. object — an aim
  7. last — to go on
  8. craft — boats
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bank — for money
  12. scale — in music
  13. object — to protest
  14. toast — bread
  15. bound — certain
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. object — a thing
  18. bound — tied together
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fall — the season

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