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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: craft · arm · rock · squash · lean · coach · nail · snap

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. squash — to crush
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. craft — a skill
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. craft — boats
  16. rock — a stone
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rock — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to click
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. squash — the sport
  24. craft — a handicraft

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