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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. craft — boats
  7. plane — a tool
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pop — soda
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pop — to visit
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pop — music
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wind — moving air
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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