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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — from crying
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wind — moving air
  10. key — the most important part
  11. craft — boats
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wind — moving air
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. tear — to rip

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