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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ground — a position
  4. present — a gift
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ground — crushed
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. track — a path
  12. present — there
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. craft — a skill
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. track — a song
  23. present — the time now
  24. fall — the season

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