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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fall — the season
  8. sharp — clever
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. suit — to fit
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fall — to drop
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. staff — a stick
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rest — a break
  24. rash — a series

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