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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: bowl · track · key · fall · mouse · craft · plane · spring

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fall — the season
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fall — to drop
  10. track — a song
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spring — of water
  14. fall — to drop
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. spring — the season
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. spring — a coil
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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