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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. court — for sport
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. toast — bread
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — a skill
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. court — of law
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. court — of a king
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. snap — to click
  24. date — the fruit

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