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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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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: club · dip · plane · wind · craft · spell · rest · race

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. club — for golf
  7. spell — a short time
  8. dip — to sink
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. club — for dancing
  12. spell — letters
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. race — a contest
  15. spell — magic
  16. rest — a break
  17. craft — boats
  18. wind — moving air
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. club — a group
  24. dip — to dunk

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