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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. lean — thin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hand — help
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. hand — in cards
  18. lean — to bend
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bowl — a dish

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