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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.

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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. saw — the tool
  4. net — after costs
  5. drill — army training
  6. bound — tied together
  7. craft — boats
  8. rest — what's left
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — obliged
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. bound — certain
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. plane — in geometry

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