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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: cabinet · tube · lean · bore · plane · staff · bat · craft

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. lean — thin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. craft — a skill
  7. staff — employees
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. staff — employees
  10. tube — a container
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. craft — boats
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. staff — a stick
  18. plane — a tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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