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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pop — soda
  4. season — in sport
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cell — in biology
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pop — to visit
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. craft — boats
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. field — a subject
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pop — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. lean — to bend
  21. field — for sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. field — farmland
  24. season — to add flavour

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