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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lean — to bend
  3. snap — to click
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. capital — a city
  13. lean — thin
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. sharp — clever
  17. capital — money
  18. key — in music
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. march — music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. craft — boats
  24. capital — a big letter

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