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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 124 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. snap — to click
  3. craft — boats
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. plane — a tool
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. prune — to trim
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. fine — high quality
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. kick — in football
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. prune — to trim

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