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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. craft — a skill
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. shower — to wash
  9. can — a tin
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — to recline
  14. shower — rain
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. craft — boats
  24. bowl — to roll

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