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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.

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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mine — for digging
  4. band — a ring
  5. stock — shares
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. lie — to recline
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — a skill
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. drill — a practice
  14. row — a line
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. drill — army training
  21. stock — goods
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. band — a music group

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