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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: foot · chip · saw · lean · craft · dip · tube · key

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — in music
  3. craft — boats
  4. lean — thin
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tube — a container
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. chip — for betting
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. craft — a skill
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. foot — part of the body

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