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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. craft — a skill
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. season — of the year
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. season — in sport
  16. cold — an illness
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cold — not warm
  19. key — the most important part
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  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