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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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Word bank
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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: cap · game · plane · wound · hand · key · craft · suit

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. game — a match
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cap — of ice
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cap — a hat
  7. key — in music
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. game — wild animals
  10. key — the most important part
  11. suit — clothes
  12. craft — boats
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hand — in cards
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cap — a lid
  18. suit — in cards
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hand — help
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. suit — to fit
  24. game — a kind of play

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