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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. season — of the year
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. tear — from crying
  6. plane — a tool
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. object — a thing
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. craft — boats
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. craft — a skill
  16. object — to protest
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. object — an aim
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. club — a group

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