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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 116 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: tear · bay · bear · bound · wave · key · craft · court

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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 — in music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. key — the most important part
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. court — of a king
  9. craft — boats
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. craft — a skill
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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