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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: bark · mug · kick · fan · bore · lean · craft · snap

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. craft — boats
  3. mug — a face
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bore — to tire
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kick — in football
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bore — to drill
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lean — thin
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. snap — to click
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mug — to rob

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