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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: jam · fine · plane · last · staff · tear · craft · clip

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. clip — a video
  3. last — to go on
  4. staff — a stick
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. clip — for paper
  15. craft — a skill
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. clip — to cut
  18. fine — all right
  19. last — finally
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. last — final
  23. tear — from crying
  24. jam — in traffic

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