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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: can · craft · squash · bass · lean · stock · wake · plane

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — thin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bass — the fish
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stock — shares
  9. bass — low music
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. squash — to crush
  16. can — a tin
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stock — goods
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lean — to bend
  24. plane — a tool

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