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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lean — thin
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. craft — boats
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. craft — a skill
  11. hand — in cards
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rest — what's left
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lean — to bend
  18. season — in sport
  19. hand — help
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. season — of the year
  24. lean — to rest against

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