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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. track — a path
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rash — a series
  8. court — of a king
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. craft — a skill
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bass — low music
  14. plane — a tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rash — hasty
  17. court — of law
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. craft — boats
  20. court — for sport
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. track — a song

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