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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. craft — a skill
  3. clip — for paper
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stock — goods
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. spring — the season
  10. craft — boats
  11. mug — to rob
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lean — thin
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. clip — a video
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bowl — to roll

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