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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. key — in music
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. craft — a skill
  8. spring — the season
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. spring — of water
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. vault — a safe
  16. spring — a coil
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. key — for a lock
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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