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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mark — a grade
  4. plane — a tool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. craft — boats
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. can — to be able to
  15. lean — thin
  16. can — a tin
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. court — of law
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. can — a tin

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