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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · fan · rule · plane · cap · arm · squash · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rule — government
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rule — a law
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. firm — steady
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. craft — a skill
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. firm — decided
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. firm — a company
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cap — a lid

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