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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · sharp · wake · craft · kid · wound · game · plane

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. root — the cause
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. root — of a word
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. game — wild animals
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wound — an injury
  20. game — a match
  21. root — of a plant
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wound — an injury
  24. plane — a tool

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