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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stem — to come from
  11. last — finally
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. kid — child
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. craft — boats
  17. last — to go on
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. hand — help
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — final
  24. stem — a stem cell

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