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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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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: firm · lean · mark · content · ball · staff · arm · craft

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. staff — employees
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. firm — a company
  6. mark — a trace
  7. content — happy
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. staff — employees
  10. firm — steady
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ball — a great time
  14. staff — a stick
  15. content — the amount
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ball — a dance
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. firm — decided
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. craft — boats

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