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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lean — thin
  3. mug — to rob
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lean — to bend
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. scale — in music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mug — a face
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mug — a cup
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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