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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: spell · cell · plane · craft · row · straw · lie · bass

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — low music
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cell — in biology
  11. spell — a short time
  12. row — a line
  13. craft — boats
  14. lie — to recline
  15. spell — letters
  16. bass — the fish
  17. spell — magic
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. row — to paddle
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. craft — a skill
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cell — a phone

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