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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. tube — a container
  4. craft — a skill
  5. net — after costs
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lean — to bend
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. season — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. bound — obliged
  15. season — of the year
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bound — certain
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lean — thin
  22. craft — boats
  23. dip — to sink
  24. net — in sport

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