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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: craft · racket · lie · mate · key · march · content · lash

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. content — happy
  3. mate — a friend
  4. craft — boats
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — a skill
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mate — a partner
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. march — music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. content — the amount
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. key — the most important part
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — an untruth

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