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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. key — for a lock
  8. object — an aim
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lie — to recline
  17. object — a thing
  18. key — in music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. craft — boats
  22. saw — the tool
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. key — the most important part

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