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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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. plane — a tool
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. drill — the tool
  10. key — in music
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. drill — army training
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. craft — a skill

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