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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spell — magic
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. key — in music
  8. craft — boats
  9. deal — to handle
  10. dip — to sink
  11. spell — a short time
  12. key — for a lock
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spell — letters
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. dip — to dunk

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