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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. craft — a skill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. craft — boats
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wound — an injury
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. track — to keep track
  16. key — for a lock
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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