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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: craft · snap · last · can · clip · coach · lie · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — for a lock
  4. last — to go on
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. craft — boats
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. last — final
  10. lie — to recline
  11. can — to be able to
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. key — the most important part
  17. clip — a video
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. last — finally
  20. snap — to click
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. can — a tin
  24. coach — a trainer

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