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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: season · key · net · cell · craft · rule · straw · hand

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. craft — a skill
  3. key — for a lock
  4. net — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hand — in cards
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cell — in biology
  11. season — of the year
  12. key — in music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cell — a phone
  15. season — in sport
  16. rule — a law
  17. net — after costs
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. hand — help
  21. craft — boats
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. net — for catching
  24. craft — a handicraft

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