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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · hand · lean · date · craft · rush · chair · stick

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. chair — a leader
  4. date — the fruit
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lean — thin
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. craft — boats
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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