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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 120 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. craft — boats
  7. march — music
  8. lean — thin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. march — the month
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. foot — a measure
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. march — the month
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wake — a trail

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