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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 116 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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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 · fan · craft · snap · cold · pass · key · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cold — not warm
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. snap — to click
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. craft — boats

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