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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · craft · wound · coach · bat · fall · foot · charge

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wound — an injury
  3. key — the most important part
  4. charge — electricity
  5. key — in music
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fall — the season
  10. wound — an injury
  11. foot — a measure
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — boats
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. charge — in control
  20. key — for a lock
  21. charge — a price
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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