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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. field — for sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. field — a subject
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. craft — boats
  16. plane — a tool
  17. field — farmland
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chest — of your body
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — to trim

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