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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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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 · dip · craft · snap · content · ruler · lean · band

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lean — to bend
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. band — a music group
  11. content — the amount
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. snap — to click
  15. content — happy
  16. dip — to sink
  17. key — in music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. band — a ring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lean — thin

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