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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.

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: key · craft · court · bowl · sharp · straw · wake · saw

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. court — for sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — in music
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. key — the most important part
  15. craft — a skill
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. saw — the tool
  18. court — of law
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. court — of a king
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. sharp — clever

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