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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 · band · kick · face · mug · staff · craft · stem

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. band — a ring
  3. lean — to bend
  4. kick — in football
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mug — a face
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stem — to come from
  10. face — to confront
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mug — a cup
  16. face — part of the head
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. craft — boats
  22. band — a music group
  23. staff — employees
  24. kick — with a leg

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