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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
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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 · mug · plane · arm · fork · spell · tube · craft

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cap — of ice
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mug — to rob
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. spell — letters
  10. mug — a face
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. spell — magic
  20. cap — a lid
  21. tube — a container
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fork — in a road
  24. spell — a short time

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