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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: craft · fan · firm · plane · staff · hand · mate · race

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. firm — decided
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. firm — a company
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mate — to breed
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — a friend
  15. race — a contest
  16. mate — a partner
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. plane — a tool
  22. race — humankind
  23. craft — boats
  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