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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. key — for a lock
  3. march — the month
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. degree — temperature
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fall — the season
  9. face — to confront
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. key — the most important part
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. degree — an amount
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. key — in music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. degree — from a university

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