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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.

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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: key · craft · degree · mouse · fan · nail · race · bulb

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. race — humankind
  3. craft — a skill
  4. degree — temperature
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. key — in music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. race — a contest
  19. degree — from a university
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bulb — for light
  22. degree — an amount
  23. craft — boats
  24. nail — on a finger

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