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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. craft — boats
  3. bear — the animal
  4. field — for sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. ball — a dance
  8. plane — a tool
  9. field — a subject
  10. land — a country
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. land — to come down
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. last — final
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. craft — a skill
  23. land — ground
  24. craft — a handicraft

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