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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. dip — to sink
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spell — a short time
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. game — a match
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. key — in music
  10. spell — letters
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lean — thin
  14. spell — magic
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lean — to bend
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. key — for a lock
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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