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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rash — a series
  4. rule — a law
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rule — government
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. craft — a skill
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. last — finally
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. last — to go on
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. lean — thin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. craft — boats
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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