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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: row · foot · leaves · craft · pop · plane · wind · capital

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. capital — money
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. wind — moving air
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. craft — a skill
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pop — music
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. capital — a city
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. craft — boats
  21. pop — soda
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. craft — a handicraft

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