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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: fall · fan · straw · ground · craft · bowl · track · key

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. key — in music
  3. fall — the season
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. craft — boats
  7. fall — to drop
  8. track — a path
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ground — a position
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fall — to drop

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