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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: lean · hand · craft · stand · cap · rash · lie · prune

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. craft — a skill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lean — thin
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cap — of ice
  17. craft — boats
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. lie — to recline
  21. hand — in cards
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hand — help
  24. cap — a lid

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