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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · shower · ball · bulb · key · craft · capital · wind

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wind — moving air
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. key — in music
  9. capital — a city
  10. lie — to recline
  11. craft — boats
  12. shower — to wash
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a great time
  15. capital — money
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. shower — rain
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. ball — a dance
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  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