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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hand — help
  9. track — a path
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. track — to keep track
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. key — in music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. key — for a lock
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. track — a song

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