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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. file — a tool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. file — a document
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. craft — boats
  11. lean — thin
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. file — a line of people
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. ball — a great time
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pass — a permit

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