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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: lean · ground · arm · bay · chip · plane · craft · sharp

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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 — boats
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ground — a position
  7. lean — to bend
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ground — the earth
  12. chip — to eat
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. craft — a skill
  23. arm — part of the body
  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