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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mate — a partner
  9. net — after costs
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. net — for catching
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mate — to breed
  16. craft — boats
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rock — music
  19. net — in sport
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. craft — a skill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cell — in a prison

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