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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · date · jam · race · wound · craft · perch · ball

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. perch — the fish
  6. craft — a skill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. race — the arms race
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. race — a contest
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. craft — boats
  19. race — humankind
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. date — the fruit
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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