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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. staff — employees
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bound — obliged
  5. staff — employees
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bound — certain
  11. rash — hasty
  12. craft — boats
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. staff — a stick
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rash — a series
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. swing — music
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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