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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mate — a friend
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. craft — a skill
  11. plane — a tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — clever
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. craft — boats
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mate — a partner
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mate — to breed
  24. prune — to trim

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