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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stock — shares
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. shower — to wash
  13. craft — boats
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. band — a ring
  17. deal — to handle
  18. shower — rain
  19. stock — goods
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. band — a music group

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