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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.

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: craft · rush · cold · last · racket · plane · hide · prune

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. last — final
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cold — not warm
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cold — an illness
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rush — hurry

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