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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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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mate — a friend
  4. craft — boats
  5. cell — a phone
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cell — in biology
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. march — the month
  11. key — for a lock
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mate — to breed
  19. march — the month
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. march — music
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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