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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. staff — a stick
  7. craft — boats
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lie — to recline
  11. march — the month
  12. staff — employees
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fine — high quality
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ball — a great time
  19. scale — in music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. scale — size or range
  22. march — the month
  23. staff — employees
  24. march — music

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