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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chest — of your body
  5. drill — army training
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mug — a cup
  8. season — in sport
  9. craft — boats
  10. cold — not warm
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. chest — a box
  16. season — of the year
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — the most important part
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cold — an illness
  23. key — in music
  24. mug — a face

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