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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lean — thin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rash — a series
  8. craft — a skill
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chest — a box
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. suit — in cards
  16. face — to confront
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fork — in a road
  19. craft — boats
  20. key — in music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rash — hasty

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