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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · craft · last · key · pop · mug · suit · cold

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. last — to go on
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pop — to visit
  6. last — final
  7. mug — a face
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pop — music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. last — finally
  15. pop — soda
  16. suit — in cards
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mug — to rob
  19. key — in music
  20. suit — to fit
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — an illness

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