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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.

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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: tube · sharp · roll · perch · saw · plane · craft · wake

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. sharp — clever
  4. craft — a skill
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. craft — boats
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. roll — a cake
  13. tube — the underground
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. saw — the tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. roll — a list
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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