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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. net — for catching
  4. chip — to eat
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mark — a grade
  8. swing — to play on
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fall — the season
  13. swing — music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. craft — boats
  16. net — in sport
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. face — to confront
  20. fall — to drop
  21. key — in music
  22. face — part of the head
  23. craft — a skill
  24. net — after costs

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