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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: squash · craft · bass · lean · spell · kid · stand · sharp

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kid — child
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. kid — to tease
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. squash — the sport
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lean — thin
  13. spell — letters
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. spell — magic
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bass — low music
  23. stand — for spectators
  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