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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. key — for a lock
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. key — in music
  6. file — a document
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. file — a line of people
  14. craft — boats
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. key — the most important part
  19. date — the fruit
  20. plane — a tool
  21. file — a tool
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. dip — to sink

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