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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — a line
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lean — to bend
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wind — moving air
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wind — moving air
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stand — to bear
  18. craft — boats
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lean — thin
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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