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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. lean — thin
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. craft — a skill
  6. tube — a container
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. field — a subject
  14. craft — boats
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. tube — the underground
  20. field — for sport
  21. lean — to bend
  22. staff — employees
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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