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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. row — a line
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lean — thin
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. craft — boats
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fine — all right
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fine — high quality
  16. lean — to bend
  17. season — in sport
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. shower — to wash
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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