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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. band — a music group
  5. rest — what's left
  6. last — to go on
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. craft — boats
  11. last — final
  12. craft — a skill
  13. last — finally
  14. fine — all right
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rest — a break
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fine — high quality

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