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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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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: club · stick · hand · mate · bay · craft · plane · nail

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. craft — boats
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. craft — a skill
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. hand — help
  13. mate — to breed
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. club — a group
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hand — in cards
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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