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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fall — to drop
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. march — the month
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fall — the season
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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