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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rest — a break
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. last — final
  19. rest — what's left
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wound — an injury
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bowl — a football final

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