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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 · stand · saw · craft · can · lie · fan · mine

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. can — a tin
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mine — for digging
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. craft — boats
  22. lean — thin
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. can — a tin

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