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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: cell · fan · deal · tear · content · arm · craft · key

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. key — in music
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. tear — from crying
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. craft — boats
  11. tear — to rip
  12. content — the amount
  13. cell — in biology
  14. key — the most important part
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tear — from crying
  22. key — for a lock
  23. content — happy
  24. fan — to cool the air

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