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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: lean · craft · cabinet · shower · leaves · drill · trunk · can

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. shower — to wash
  6. drill — army training
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lean — to bend
  9. drill — the tool
  10. can — to be able to
  11. shower — rain
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. can — a tin
  17. drill — a practice
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lean — thin
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. can — a tin
  24. craft — a skill

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