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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stem — to come from
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. craft — boats
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. staff — employees
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. swing — music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. suit — to fit
  15. last — to go on
  16. staff — a stick
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. suit — in cards
  21. staff — employees
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. last — finally

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