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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ground — crushed
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. club — a group
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bulb — for light
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lean — thin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. ground — a position
  22. club — for golf
  23. ground — the earth
  24. plane — an aircraft

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