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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. craft — a skill
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fall — the season
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bulb — for light
  16. craft — boats
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. saw — the tool

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