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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. snap — to click
  6. craft — boats
  7. lean — to bend
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — to get on
  13. craft — a skill
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. degree — temperature
  20. lean — thin
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. board — a committee
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. degree — from a university

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