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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. craft — boats
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cap — a hat
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wound — an injury
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rule — government
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rule — a law
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fork — in a road
  24. craft — a skill

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