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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: march · pit · wave · can · mug · hand · lean · craft

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lean — thin
  6. march — music
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mug — a face
  10. hand — help
  11. craft — a skill
  12. march — the month
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. march — the month
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. craft — boats
  23. pit — in a race
  24. craft — a handicraft

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