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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: mate · mark · wound · foot · straw · craft · key · toast

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. key — the most important part
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. craft — boats
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wound — an injury
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mark — a grade
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mate — a partner
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wound — an injury
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. foot — a measure
  17. toast — bread
  18. mark — a trace
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. key — in music
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. craft — a skill

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