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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
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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: bear · bank · craft · cap · shower · key · saw · current

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bank — of a river
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. key — in music
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. craft — a skill
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. craft — boats
  12. bank — for money
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. shower — rain
  17. cap — of ice
  18. current — of water
  19. cap — a hat
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — electric
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. bank — for money

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