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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: key · bulb · craft · nail · wind · face · file · bay

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. file — a tool
  5. key — in music
  6. face — to point toward
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. file — a document
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — boats
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bulb — for light
  18. key — for a lock
  19. face — to confront
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. key — the most important part
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bulb — of a plant

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