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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: leaves · craft · perch · nail · bass · land · wind · plane

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. craft — boats
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. land — to come down
  7. wind — moving air
  8. craft — a skill
  9. land — a country
  10. wind — moving air
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — low music
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bass — the fish
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. land — ground
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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