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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. ball — a dance
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. suit — clothes
  5. craft — boats
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. suit — to fit
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. shower — rain
  13. craft — a skill
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pit — in a race
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ball — a great time
  20. net — after costs
  21. pit — a hole
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. suit — in cards
  24. lean — thin

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