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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 124 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wound — an injury
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stock — shares
  5. staff — employees
  6. plane — a tool
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. saw — the tool
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stock — goods
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. race — the arms race
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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