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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 120 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. season — in sport
  11. bat — the animal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. club — for golf
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. shower — rain
  23. season — of the year
  24. club — a group

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