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

Word bank: mate · hide · coach · snap · craft · key · stick · date

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mate — a partner
  13. snap — to click
  14. mate — to breed
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. craft — boats

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