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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wound — an injury
  5. key — in music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. craft — boats
  10. bass — low music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. content — the amount
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wound — an injury
  21. content — happy
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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