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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.

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: saw · leaves · bat · mouse · key · craft · fine · content

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. key — the most important part
  4. craft — boats
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. content — the amount
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — happy
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fine — high quality
  21. key — in music
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bat — the animal

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