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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: last · key · cue · saw · craft · cold · fine · spell

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. last — finally
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. spell — magic
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. fine — all right
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cue — for pool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fine — high quality
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cold — an illness
  20. spell — letters
  21. key — for a lock
  22. spell — a short time
  23. craft — boats
  24. cue — a signal

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