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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. suit — in cards
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. staff — employees
  6. last — to go on
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pound — a weight
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. last — final
  15. staff — employees
  16. last — finally
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. craft — boats
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. chest — a box
  24. pound — to hit hard

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