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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 · chair · key · jam · can · patient · mate · dip

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. key — in music
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mate — to breed
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. can — a tin
  11. chair — a leader
  12. craft — boats
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mate — a friend
  17. craft — a skill
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. can — to be able to
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. key — for a lock
  22. can — a tin
  23. dip — a sauce
  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