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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. present — a gift
  3. chest — a box
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. craft — boats
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pound — a weight
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. chest — of your body
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pound — to hit hard

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