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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. object — an aim
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lean — thin
  5. kid — child
  6. lean — to bend
  7. kid — to tease
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. row — a line
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. row — to paddle
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. kick — in football
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. plane — a tool

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