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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: straw · can · bat · shower · craft · lean · plane · present

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. present — there
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bat — the animal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lean — thin
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. shower — to wash
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. can — to be able to
  16. present — the time now
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. craft — boats
  22. lean — to bend
  23. present — a gift
  24. shower — rain

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