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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. drill — the tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mine — for digging
  7. drill — army training
  8. rash — a series
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. craft — a skill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. object — a thing
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. object — an aim
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. object — to protest
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. craft — boats
  22. plane — a tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rash — hasty

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