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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. craft — a skill
  3. can — a tin
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. can — a tin
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. shower — rain
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. tear — from crying
  21. can — to be able to
  22. kick — in football
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bay — a horse colour

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