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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. spring — of water
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. march — music
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cap — a lid
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cap — a hat
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. march — the month
  14. spring — the season
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. key — in music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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