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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. capital — a city
  3. craft — boats
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. spell — letters
  12. net — in sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. capital — money
  20. spell — magic
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. net — after costs
  23. plane — a tool
  24. net — for catching

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