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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. content — happy
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. key — for a lock
  10. content — the amount
  11. key — in music
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bound — certain
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bound — obliged
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. craft — boats
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. key — the most important part

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