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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 116 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: wake · rock · ball · craft · saw · plane · firm · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rock — music
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. mate — to breed
  6. saw — the tool
  7. craft — a skill
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ball — a great time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mate — a friend
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ball — a dance
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rock — a stone
  24. firm — steady

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