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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mark — a grade
  3. drill — army training
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. season — in sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. band — a music group
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. season — of the year
  17. band — a ring
  18. drill — the tool
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mark — a trace
  21. plane — a tool
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. ruler — for measuring

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