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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. staff — a stick
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. craft — boats
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. dip — to sink
  12. key — the most important part
  13. last — final
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. key — in music
  16. staff — employees
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. staff — employees
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. craft — a skill
  24. vault — a safe

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