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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rash — a series
  11. key — in music
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fork — in a road
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rash — hasty
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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