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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. craft — boats
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ball — a dance
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lie — to recline
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. squash — the sport
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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