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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. craft — boats
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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