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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. chest — a box
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. kid — to tease
  7. key — the most important part
  8. suit — to fit
  9. march — music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. suit — clothes
  14. can — a tin
  15. march — the month
  16. chest — of your body
  17. kid — child
  18. march — the month
  19. craft — boats
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. can — a tin
  23. craft — a skill
  24. can — to be able to

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