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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. last — to go on
  3. craft — a skill
  4. suit — clothes
  5. object — to protest
  6. cell — in biology
  7. last — finally
  8. foot — a measure
  9. object — a thing
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fall — the season
  12. last — final
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. object — an aim
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. saw — the tool
  24. foot — part of the body

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