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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — a country
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. craft — a skill
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. tear — to rip
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. craft — boats
  20. tear — from crying
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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