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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 · firm · bat · stick · foot · wax · craft · land

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. land — ground
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wax — to grow
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. land — a country
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. firm — a company
  14. lean — thin
  15. bat — the animal
  16. firm — steady
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. land — to come down
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. craft — boats
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. firm — decided
  24. foot — a measure

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