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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.

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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: content · stick · lean · bat · fine · craft · ruler · kick

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. content — the amount
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fine — all right
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. content — happy
  17. lean — to bend
  18. kick — in football
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. craft — boats
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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