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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: fall · craft · season · row · arm · key · stick · lean

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lean — thin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. season — in sport
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. craft — a skill
  16. season — of the year
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. row — a line
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. craft — boats
  24. row — to paddle

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