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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. plane — a tool
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fine — all right
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. craft — boats
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. track — to keep track
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. track — a song
  24. deal — to handle

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