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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: craft · present · tear · lean · ruler · fan · pit · cell

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lean — thin
  6. present — a gift
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lean — to bend
  10. craft — boats
  11. cell — in biology
  12. tear — from crying
  13. present — there
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. present — the time now
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fan — to cool the air

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