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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 all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rash — hasty
  3. sharp — clever
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. track — a song
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. last — finally
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. last — final
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. last — to go on
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. track — to keep track
  22. plane — a tool
  23. track — a path
  24. rash — a series

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