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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. present — a gift
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. hand — help
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. net — in sport
  7. hand — in cards
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cell — in biology
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — for catching
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. net — after costs
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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