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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. plane — a tool
  2. rock — music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. roll — a list
  5. bear — the animal
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bear — the animal
  13. drill — army training
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. craft — a skill
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. drill — a practice
  19. roll — a cake
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bear — to put up with
  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