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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. craft — a skill
  6. staff — a stick
  7. spring — a coil
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. spring — of water
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. sharp — clever
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. craft — boats
  24. spring — the season

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