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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. content — happy
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. content — the amount
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. capital — money
  12. mate — a partner
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lean — to bend
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lean — thin
  21. capital — a city
  22. craft — a skill
  23. staff — a stick
  24. content — videos and posts

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