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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.

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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: hide · craft · rush · season · fan · lean · fall · field

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fall — the season
  3. lean — thin
  4. craft — a skill
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. field — for sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. field — farmland
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. season — of the year
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — boats
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lean — to bend
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. field — a subject
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. season — in sport
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. fan — a supporter

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