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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: present · craft · band · saw · object · pass · fork · lean

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. present — there
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lean — thin
  7. present — the time now
  8. object — an aim
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lean — to bend
  11. craft — a skill
  12. object — to protest
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. band — a music group
  15. object — a thing
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. band — a ring
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. craft — boats
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pass — a permit

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