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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. craft — boats
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. plane — a tool
  12. swing — to play on
  13. kick — in football
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. row — to paddle
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. swing — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. row — a line

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