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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. clip — for paper
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lean — thin
  5. club — a group
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fall — the season
  16. craft — boats
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. lean — to bend
  21. key — in music
  22. ball — a dance
  23. club — for golf
  24. key — for a lock

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