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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 124 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rock — a stone
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mate — a friend
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mate — a partner
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. drill — army training
  13. stem — to come from
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. drill — a practice
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. drill — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. craft — boats
  23. rock — music
  24. craft — a skill

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