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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · cue · key · toast · lean · hand

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. craft — boats
  4. cue — a hint
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. toast — bread
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. craft — a skill
  11. key — the most important part
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cue — for pool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hand — help
  17. lean — to bend
  18. key — in music

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