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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mate — a friend
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mate — a partner
  6. craft — boats
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. net — for catching
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fine — all right
  13. face — to point toward
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. face — part of the head
  16. plane — a tool
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fine — high quality
  21. face — to confront
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fine — a penalty

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