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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. craft — a skill
  9. race — the arms race
  10. content — happy
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. race — a contest
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wound — an injury
  24. race — humankind

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