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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. craft — boats
  5. can — a tin
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. can — a tin
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lean — thin
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rest — a break
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rest — what's left

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