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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — to bend
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. craft — a skill
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. craft — boats
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lean — thin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. hand — help
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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