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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. tear — from crying
  10. scale — in music
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. scale — size or range
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. vault — a safe
  19. toast — bread
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. plane — a tool
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  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