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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bound — certain
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lie — to recline
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kid — child
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. branch — a division
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. craft — boats
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pitcher — a jug

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