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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hand — help
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lean — thin
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. craft — boats
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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