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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 116 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: mine · nail · rock · lean · stick · pit · bat · craft

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bat — the animal
  4. craft — boats
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mine — for digging
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rock — music
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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