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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. plane — a tool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. tube — a container
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. tube — the underground
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wave — with your hand

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