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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. craft — boats
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mug — a cup
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mug — a face
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. march — the month
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. march — music
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. content — the amount
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. content — happy
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mate — a partner
  24. plane — in geometry

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