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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. last — final
  3. bear — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. staff — employees
  6. craft — a skill
  7. last — to go on
  8. lean — thin
  9. drill — a practice
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mug — to rob
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mug — a cup
  16. key — for a lock
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. key — in music
  22. last — finally
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. drill — army training

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