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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bound — certain
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. plane — a tool
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bound — tied together
  9. root — of a word
  10. bound — obliged
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mate — a friend
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mate — a partner
  19. craft — boats
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mate — to breed
  23. root — the cause
  24. lie — to recline

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