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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bear — the animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tear — to rip
  11. craft — boats
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. toast — bread
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rest — a break
  24. craft — a handicraft

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