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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: deal · hide · craft · clip · hand · suit · march · plane

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. clip — to cut
  4. suit — in cards
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. suit — clothes
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. clip — for paper
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. hand — in cards
  16. craft — a skill
  17. march — the month
  18. plane — a tool
  19. march — music
  20. clip — a video
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hand — help
  23. craft — boats
  24. suit — to fit

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