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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 116 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: mark · mug · craft · kid · plane · clip · mine · board

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. craft — a skill
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. board — a committee
  9. clip — a video
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mug — a cup
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mine — for digging
  14. kid — child
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. craft — boats
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. board — to get on
  24. mark — a trace

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