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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: march · craft · season · key · last · safe · rush · roll

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. craft — a skill
  5. roll — a list
  6. march — music
  7. craft — boats
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rush — hurry
  10. last — final
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. key — for a lock
  13. march — the month
  14. last — finally
  15. march — the month
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. last — to go on
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. season — in sport
  20. key — in music
  21. season — of the year
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. key — the most important part

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