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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 · net · arm · content · cabinet · snap · craft · degree

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. craft — a skill
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. snap — to click
  9. net — for catching
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lean — thin
  13. craft — boats
  14. lean — to bend
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. degree — an amount
  17. content — happy
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. net — after costs
  22. degree — from a university
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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