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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · last · stick · craft · cell · lean

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. craft — boats
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cell — a phone
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lean — to bend
  17. last — finally
  18. wave — with your hand

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