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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cold — an illness
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cue — a signal
  16. track — a song
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. track — a path
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. craft — boats
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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