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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. vault — a safe
  3. craft — a skill
  4. content — happy
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. craft — boats
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mate — a partner
  13. plane — a tool
  14. content — the amount
  15. ground — a position
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. ground — crushed
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fork — a garden tool

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