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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lean — thin
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. craft — boats
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — happy
  12. bear — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. content — the amount
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. snap — to click

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