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

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lean — to bend
  5. craft — boats
  6. lean — thin
  7. rock — music
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. craft — a skill
  11. toast — bread
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rock — a stone
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. craft — a handicraft

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