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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. track — a song
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mine — for digging
  10. prune — to trim
  11. track — a path
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — a friend
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rest — a break
  20. craft — boats
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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