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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. craft — boats
  5. scale — in music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. suit — to fit
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. last — to go on
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. last — finally
  23. scale — size or range
  24. last — final

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