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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: deal · lean · craft · saw · wound · track · mine · cabinet

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. track — a path
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. lean — thin
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. track — to keep track
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wound — an injury
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lean — to bend
  20. craft — boats
  21. mine — for digging
  22. saw — the tool
  23. track — a song
  24. wound — an injury

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