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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: bore · fall · file · lean · suit · ball · craft · pit

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. file — a tool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fall — the season
  7. craft — a skill
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pit — a hole
  11. craft — boats
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ball — a dance
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. file — a document
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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