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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rule — government
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. sharp — clever
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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