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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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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 · last · suit · drill · saw · key · bat · mark

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. key — in music
  2. last — to go on
  3. craft — boats
  4. last — final
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. saw — the tool
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mark — a grade
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mark — a trace
  13. suit — to fit
  14. drill — army training
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bat — the animal
  17. last — finally
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. suit — in cards
  23. drill — a practice
  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