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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · spring · row · craft · hand · perch · kick · squash

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. spring — a coil
  3. squash — the sport
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kick — in football
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. row — a line
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. perch — the fish
  14. hand — help
  15. plane — a tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. row — to paddle
  18. craft — boats
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. squash — to crush
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hand — in cards

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