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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cap — of ice
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. last — to go on
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mine — for digging
  10. club — a group
  11. cell — a phone
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. club — for golf
  15. season — in sport
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. craft — boats
  20. last — finally
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cell — in biology
  23. craft — a skill
  24. last — final

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