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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: sharp · mug · plane · craft · track · board · swing · cell

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cell — a phone
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mug — a face
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. sharp — clever
  17. plane — a tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. track — to keep track
  21. craft — boats
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. board — a committee
  24. swing — music

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