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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: court · cabinet · bear · mine · plane · wake · chest · craft

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. craft — boats
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. court — of a king
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. chest — a box
  14. court — for sport
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. court — of law
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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