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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pass — a permit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. degree — from a university
  7. saw — the tool
  8. degree — an amount
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. lean — to bend
  14. degree — temperature
  15. spring — the season
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. foot — part of the body

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