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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: stick · lean · sharp · cabinet · rest · lash · craft · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. craft — boats
  8. rest — what's left
  9. march — music
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lean — thin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rest — a break
  15. sharp — clever
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lean — to bend
  23. march — the month
  24. sharp — exactly

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