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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: spell · roll · last · craft · leaves · vault · content · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. roll — a cake
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. vault — a safe
  7. last — final
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. last — to go on
  10. spell — magic
  11. last — finally
  12. craft — a skill
  13. spell — letters
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. key — for a lock
  17. roll — a list
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. craft — boats
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. key — in music
  22. spell — a short time
  23. content — the amount
  24. craft — a handicraft

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