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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lean — to bend
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lean — thin
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. craft — boats
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wax — to grow
  19. plane — a tool
  20. perch — the fish
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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