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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cue — a hint
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. shower — rain
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. craft — a skill
  24. leaves — lets stay

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