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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: plane · stick · sharp · bass · degree · wind · safe · craft

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. plane — a tool
  4. craft — boats
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wind — moving air
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. safe — out of danger

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