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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · fork · chair · bass · plane · present · bear · wave

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. craft — boats
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bass — low music
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fork — in a road
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. present — the time now
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bear — the animal

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