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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rest — a break
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. saw — the tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. craft — a skill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wax — to grow
  19. craft — boats
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rest — what's left

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