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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: prune · lean · pass · foot · craft · chest · mate · wind

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. craft — boats
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. prune — to trim
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lean — thin
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pass — to succeed

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