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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 120 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: craft · pass · bowl · bound · content · dip · file · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. craft — boats
  8. content — happy
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pass — a permit
  14. content — the amount
  15. file — a tool
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bound — tied together
  18. dip — to sink
  19. file — a document
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. craft — a skill
  24. file — a line of people

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