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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. ground — the earth
  3. key — for a lock
  4. craft — boats
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lie — to recline
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. ground — crushed
  9. charge — in control
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — a price
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ground — a position
  20. key — in music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. charge — electricity
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. band — a music group

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