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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. craft — a skill
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — completely
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. craft — boats
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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