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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: lean · prune · degree · object · can · fall · lie · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. lean — thin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lean — to bend
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fall — to drop
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. degree — an amount
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. object — to protest
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fall — the season
  21. degree — temperature
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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