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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 120 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. hand — help
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lie — to recline
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fine — all right
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. hand — in cards
  12. craft — boats
  13. ground — a position
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ground — crushed
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mark — a trace
  24. plane — a tool

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