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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. deal — to handle
  3. staff — employees
  4. chip — to eat
  5. craft — boats
  6. swing — in golf
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — employees
  9. chip — for betting
  10. staff — a stick
  11. clip — a video
  12. swing — music
  13. plane — a tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. swing — to play on
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — to cut
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. craft — a skill
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. prune — the fruit

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