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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mate — a partner
  5. key — the most important part
  6. craft — boats
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — a lid
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. key — in music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mate — a friend
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bulb — for light
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cap — a hat
  24. craft — a handicraft

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