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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. staff — a stick
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. staff — employees
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. staff — employees
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. suit — in cards
  24. craft — boats

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