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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. last — finally
  5. chest — of your body
  6. craft — a skill
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. key — the most important part
  11. last — to go on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. chest — a box
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. craft — boats
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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