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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. spell — letters
  6. plane — a tool
  7. season — of the year
  8. spell — magic
  9. season — in sport
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. court — of law
  13. key — in music
  14. spell — a short time
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. craft — boats
  18. court — for sport
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. key — the most important part
  21. court — of a king
  22. drill — a practice
  23. key — for a lock
  24. drill — army training

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