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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fine — high quality
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. craft — boats
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fine — all right
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bass — the fish
  12. tear — from crying
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. race — a contest
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. foot — a measure
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. plane — a tool
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bass — low music
  22. tear — to rip
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tear — from crying

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