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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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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 · roll · rule · fan · last · key · toast · spell

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. roll — a list
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rule — government
  5. last — to go on
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. toast — bread
  10. roll — a cake
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rule — a law
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. craft — boats
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. last — final
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. last — finally
  23. key — for a lock
  24. 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