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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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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. march — music
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. season — in sport
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. season — of the year
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. march — the month
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. march — the month
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. craft — a skill

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