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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. craft — boats
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. file — a tool
  11. mark — a grade
  12. file — a line of people
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. file — a document
  16. row — a line
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. ground — a position
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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