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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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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: deal · fan · key · bulb · cell · tube · fall · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. tube — a container
  3. cell — in biology
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fall — the season
  6. key — for a lock
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cell — a phone
  13. craft — boats
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. key — in music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bulb — for light

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