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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: lash · jam · stick · pit · cold · plane · craft · sharp

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cold — an illness
  3. sharp — clever
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cold — not warm
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pit — a hole
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — a tool
  24. craft — boats

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