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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
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: craft · plane · ruler · cue · shower · tube · ground · chest

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. craft — boats
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ground — a position
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. craft — a skill
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cue — a hint
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cue — for pool
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. tube — a container
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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