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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bank — of a river
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. last — final
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. last — finally
  14. swing — music
  15. craft — boats
  16. rush — hurry
  17. last — to go on
  18. bank — for money
  19. roll — a list
  20. swing — in golf
  21. key — in music
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. roll — a cake

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