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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: lean · craft · kid · march · pound · trunk · stick · toast

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. kid — child
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — a skill
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. toast — bread
  14. craft — boats
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. march — music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. march — the month

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