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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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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: craft · foot · coach · rush · kid · lean

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. kid — to tease
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lean — thin
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rush — hurry
  13. craft — a skill
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lean — to bend
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. kid — child

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