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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. craft — boats
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. craft — a skill
  9. game — wild animals
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. game — a match
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. key — in music
  16. drill — a practice
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spell — magic
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. key — for a lock
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rush — hurry
  24. drill — army training

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