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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bound — certain
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. suit — clothes
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bound — obliged
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. toast — bread
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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