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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ball — a great time
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wind — moving air
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. craft — a skill
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. degree — an amount
  19. plane — a tool
  20. degree — temperature
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. deal — to handle
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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