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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. craft — boats
  5. last — to go on
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. object — an aim
  9. lean — to bend
  10. object — to protest
  11. bass — low music
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fall — the season
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. object — a thing
  18. last — final
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fall — to drop
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. last — finally
  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