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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: craft · spell · plane · march · board · hand · chair · cabinet

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spell — letters
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. hand — help
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. march — the month
  11. craft — a skill
  12. spell — magic
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. board — a committee
  16. craft — boats
  17. plane — a tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. chair — a leader
  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