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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pass — a permit
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. file — a document
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. file — a line of people
  16. shower — rain
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. craft — boats
  22. file — a tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. scale — in music

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