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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. chip — for betting
  3. plane — a tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. key — for a lock
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. branch — a division
  14. land — ground
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. craft — boats
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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