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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bound — certain
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. shower — rain
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bear — the animal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. shower — to wash
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bound — obliged
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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