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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
468
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: bark · craft · season · dip · lean · mine · straw · fine

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mine — for digging
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. season — in sport
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. craft — boats
  10. fine — high quality
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fine — all right
  16. lean — thin
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bark — to shout
  24. season — of the year

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