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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 120 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: track · squash · craft · leaves · shower · suit · wound · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. shower — to wash
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. squash — the sport
  8. suit — to fit
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. craft — boats
  11. squash — to crush
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. track — a path
  14. wound — an injury
  15. track — to keep track
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. track — a song
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. shower — rain

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