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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. can — a tin
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. spring — of water
  8. craft — boats
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chest — a box
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. chest — of your body
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chest — of your body
  18. can — to be able to
  19. spring — the season
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — thin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lean — to bend

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