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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rush — hurry
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. field — a subject
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. field — farmland
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — for sport
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. plane — a tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. craft — boats
  22. bear — the animal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. trunk — of a car

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