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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: key · craft · mark · court · rush · saw · chest · kick

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. key — in music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chest — a box
  8. craft — boats
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. court — of a king
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. chest — of your body
  18. court — of law
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. craft — a skill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. key — for a lock
  24. court — for sport

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