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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fall — the season
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — clever
  11. date — the fruit
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fall — to drop
  16. swing — music
  17. craft — a skill
  18. plane — a tool
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. craft — boats
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. swing — to play on
  24. arm — part of the body

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