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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wound — an injury
  4. craft — a skill
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lean — to bend
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. craft — boats
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lean — thin
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rash — a series
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitch — completely

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