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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: cap · board · wound · mine · spell · stock · craft · plane

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stock — goods
  8. craft — boats
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cap — a hat
  12. spell — a short time
  13. plane — a tool
  14. spell — letters
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mine — for digging
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stock — shares
  23. spell — magic
  24. craft — a handicraft

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