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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: cold · drill · craft · ball · dip · key · rash · lie

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. key — for a lock
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cold — an illness
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. drill — a practice
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cold — not warm
  14. key — in music
  15. drill — the tool
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. ball — a dance
  19. craft — boats
  20. lie — to recline
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. drill — army training
  23. rash — on the skin
  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