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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 · pop · key · hide · lash · can · bay · bat

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. craft — a skill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. can — to be able to
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pop — to visit
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. can — a tin
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pop — soda
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. can — a tin
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pop — 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