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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: wake · lean · can · file · mouse · craft · rock · saw

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. file — a document
  4. lean — thin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wake — a trail
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — music
  17. can — to be able to
  18. craft — a skill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. craft — boats
  21. can — a tin
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rock — a 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