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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: fine · stick · bear · lean · shower · craft · mug · ball

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bear — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fine — all right
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lean — thin
  20. craft — boats
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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