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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. craft — a skill
  4. spell — a short time
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. craft — boats
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. spell — letters
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rash — a series
  12. clip — a video
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. staff — employees
  17. spell — magic
  18. clip — for paper
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chair — a leader
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rash — hasty
  24. key — the most important part

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