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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. chair — a leader
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. last — final
  12. craft — boats
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. craft — a skill
  17. last — finally
  18. dip — to sink
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. last — to go on
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. spell — letters

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