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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. degree — from a university
  3. plane — a tool
  4. craft — boats
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. craft — a skill
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. race — humankind
  9. degree — temperature
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. race — the arms race
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. race — a contest
  15. charge — electricity
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — in control
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — a price
  21. perch — the fish
  22. degree — an amount
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. straw — a straw man

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