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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. snap — to click
  7. court — of a king
  8. charge — a price
  9. wound — an injury
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — for sport
  14. craft — a skill
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. court — of law
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cell — a phone
  19. craft — boats
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. charge — in control
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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