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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. craft — boats
  6. march — the month
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. branch — a division
  11. pit — a hole
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. march — music
  17. pit — in a race
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rule — a law
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rule — government
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lean — to bend
  24. march — the month

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