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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: content · craft · net · key · file · coach · wave · cabinet

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. key — in music
  3. net — in sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. net — for catching
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. content — the amount
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. file — a line of people
  14. net — after costs
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. content — happy
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. file — a tool
  22. key — for a lock
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. file — a document

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