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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. current — happening now
  4. spring — of water
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — of water
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — the season
  10. plane — a tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. snap — to click
  15. chest — of your body
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chest — a box
  18. current — electric
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chest — of your body
  24. craft — boats

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