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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lean — thin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rash — a series
  12. bass — the fish
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — to bend
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bass — low music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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