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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: craft · key · staff · snap · row · lie · spring · date

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. row — to paddle
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. key — in music
  8. date — the fruit
  9. spring — the season
  10. key — the most important part
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. staff — employees
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. spring — a coil
  18. staff — employees
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. key — for a lock
  22. snap — to click
  23. spring — of water
  24. date — on the calendar

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