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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. land — ground
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. saw — the tool
  16. craft — a skill
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. snap — to click
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. craft — boats
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. court — of law

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