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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. current — happening now
  3. season — in sport
  4. craft — boats
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. current — electric
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — of water
  12. prune — to trim
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — of the year
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. lean — to rest against

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