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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. fork — in a road
  3. plane — a tool
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. track — a path
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. file — a line of people
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. track — to keep track
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. track — a song
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mine — for digging
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. kick — in football
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. craft — boats
  23. scale — size or range
  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