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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. craft — boats
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. board — a committee
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. tear — from crying
  20. board — to get on
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cell — in biology
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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