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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 · key · craft · rest · dip · firm · bore · game

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. craft — a skill
  4. game — a match
  5. craft — boats
  6. firm — a company
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rest — a break
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cell — in biology
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. key — in music
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. game — wild animals
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rest — what's left
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cell — a phone

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