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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. net — after costs
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. craft — a skill
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. craft — boats
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. net — in sport
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. kick — in football
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. net — for catching
  22. fork — in a road
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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