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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lean — to bend
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. march — the month
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. march — music
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. march — the month
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bear — the animal

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