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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. field — a subject
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. field — farmland
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. craft — boats
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rash — hasty
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rash — a series
  17. craft — a skill
  18. vault — a safe
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lean — to bend
  21. field — for sport
  22. plane — a tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. plane — an aircraft

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