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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. key — the most important part
  3. object — to protest
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. craft — boats
  6. suit — clothes
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. key — in music
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. object — a thing
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. object — an aim
  17. suit — to fit
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. craft — a skill
  22. key — for a lock
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bat — in an idiom

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