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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wake — a trail
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. kick — in football
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wound — an injury
  21. craft — boats
  22. cue — a signal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. craft — a skill

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