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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. staff — employees
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. sharp — clever
  7. court — of law
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. suit — in cards
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. last — final
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. craft — a skill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. suit — to fit
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. last — to go on
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. craft — boats

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