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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: snap · scale · march · lean · season · arm · craft · spring

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spring — a coil
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. season — of the year
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. spring — the season
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lean — thin
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. lean — to bend
  18. season — in sport
  19. scale — size or range
  20. spring — of water
  21. march — the month
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. scale — in music
  24. snap — to click

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