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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. season — in sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. field — farmland
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. field — for sport
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. suit — in cards
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. season — of the year
  19. field — a subject
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tear — from crying
  22. craft — boats
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. craft — a skill

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