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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
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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: bat · craft · spell · object · squash · tear · lean · foot

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. tear — from crying
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lean — thin
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. tear — to rip
  12. spell — magic
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. lean — to bend
  16. object — to protest
  17. squash — the sport
  18. tear — from crying
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bat — the animal
  24. object — an aim

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