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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. degree — from a university
  5. saw — the tool
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pit — a hole
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. face — to point toward
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. craft — a skill
  14. face — part of the head
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pit — in a race
  17. degree — temperature
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. plane — a tool
  20. face — to confront
  21. rest — what's left
  22. craft — boats
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. plane — an aircraft

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