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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cabinet · lean · ball · rush · craft · straw · plane · mine

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. craft — boats
  7. ball — a dance
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. craft — a skill
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rush — hurry

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