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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. craft — boats
  3. game — wild animals
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bank — for money
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. key — the most important part
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bank — for money
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wind — moving air
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. game — a match
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. craft — a skill
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. bank — of a river

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