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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. toast — bread
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. march — music
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. march — the month
  7. pound — a weight
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. march — the month
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rest — a break
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. craft — boats
  24. sharp — clever

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