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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. last — to go on
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. last — finally
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. suit — to fit
  8. craft — a skill
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. craft — boats
  11. dip — to sink
  12. suit — clothes
  13. vault — a safe
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. suit — in cards
  17. saw — the tool
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. last — final
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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