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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lie — to recline
  6. craft — boats
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. perch — the fish
  11. chip — to eat
  12. plane — a tool
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. tube — the underground
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. tube — a container
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. last — to go on

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