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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 116 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. board — a committee
  4. craft — boats
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. root — the cause
  7. plane — a tool
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — to get on
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. root — of a word
  22. mine — for digging
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. spell — magic

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