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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mate — to breed
  3. last — to go on
  4. craft — a skill
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mate — a friend
  7. last — final
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. can — a tin
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. last — finally
  12. can — to be able to
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. craft — boats
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. scale — in music
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. capital — money
  21. mate — a partner
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. capital — a city

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