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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wound — an injury
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tear — from crying
  12. craft — boats
  13. wound — an injury
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rush — hurry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tear — from crying
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. tear — to rip

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