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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. squash — the sport
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mark — a grade
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. key — in music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. branch — a division
  19. craft — boats
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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