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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · saw · wave · craft · leaves · wind · game · key

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. craft — boats
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wind — moving air
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. key — in music
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — for a lock
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. wind — moving air
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. game — a match
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. game — wild animals
  24. leaves — of a tree

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