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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: bay · content · lean · board · spell · craft · leaves · pitcher

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. board — a committee
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spell — letters
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. content — the amount
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. lean — thin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. content — happy
  15. board — to get on
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  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