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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — boats
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. craft — a skill
  5. suit — clothes
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bass — the fish
  12. plane — a tool
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bass — low music
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. craft — a handicraft

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