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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. key — the most important part
  3. craft — a skill
  4. content — happy
  5. key — in music
  6. shower — rain
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wax — to grow
  9. craft — boats
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lie — to recline
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. content — the amount
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. press — to push
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — help
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — for a lock
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wax — in the ear

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