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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: craft · ball · leaves · rest · band · plane · lean · spell

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ball — a dance
  3. band — a ring
  4. spell — letters
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rest — what's left
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rest — a break
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ball — a great time
  15. craft — boats
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. spell — magic
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. lean — to bend
  22. plane — a tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spell — a short time

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