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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. plane — a tool
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pound — a weight
  6. season — of the year
  7. craft — boats
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. craft — a skill
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hide — animal skin

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