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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · straw · charge · squash · key · pitcher · hide · band

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. craft — a skill
  3. key — for a lock
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. key — the most important part
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. charge — a price
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. key — in music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — boats
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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