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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. key — in music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. squash — the sport
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — to crush
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. content — happy
  17. key — for a lock
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. key — the most important part
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. content — the amount

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