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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 120 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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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 · current · rest · key · kid · trunk · saw · bay

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. key — for a lock
  8. saw — the tool
  9. craft — boats
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. key — the most important part
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rest — a break
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rest — what's left
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. current — electric
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. key — in music

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