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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rest — what's left
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rush — hurry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. craft — boats
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. craft — a skill
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rest — a break
  13. swing — in golf
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. swing — to play on
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. swing — music
  24. bowl — a dish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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