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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pass — a permit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. craft — a skill
  6. net — for catching
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. net — in sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — a tin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. can — to be able to
  21. plane — a tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. pass — to spend time

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