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

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. key — the most important part
  6. track — a song
  7. last — finally
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. last — final
  10. key — for a lock
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. craft — boats
  14. key — in music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. last — to go on
  19. track — a path
  20. lie — to recline
  21. track — to keep track
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lie — an untruth

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