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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: plane · craft · face · pitcher · rest · cap · bear · race

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bear — the animal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — a contest
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rest — a break
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rest — what's left
  13. race — the arms race
  14. face — to confront
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. race — humankind
  19. face — part of the head
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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