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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. file — a line of people
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. board — to get on
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fork — in a road
  15. craft — boats
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — a trail
  21. board — a committee
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fan — to cool the air

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