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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 124 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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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: face · key · craft · jam · roll · safe · last · deal

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. craft — a skill
  3. key — the most important part
  4. roll — a cake
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. face — to confront
  7. deal — to handle
  8. craft — boats
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. face — part of the head
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. last — to go on
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. last — final
  19. key — in music
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. roll — a list
  22. face — to point toward
  23. key — for a lock
  24. jam — a tight spot

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