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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. track — a path
  4. cue — a signal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lean — thin
  8. tube — a container
  9. track — a song
  10. ball — a great time
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. plane — a tool
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lean — to bend
  24. squash — the sport

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