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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fall — the season
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. plane — a tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. key — in music
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fall — to drop
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fall — to drop
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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