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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. spell — magic
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. current — electric
  7. sharp — clever
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. season — in sport
  11. cue — a hint
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. current — of water
  14. spell — letters
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. craft — a skill
  18. current — happening now
  19. cue — for pool
  20. season — of the year
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. spell — a short time
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cue — a signal

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