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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. craft — boats
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mine — for digging
  9. track — a path
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. can — to be able to
  17. track — a song
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. plane — a tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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