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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. vault — a safe
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. squash — the sport
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fall — to drop
  13. firm — a company
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fall — to drop
  17. sharp — clever
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. craft — boats
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fall — the season
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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