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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mine — for digging
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rock — music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. craft — a skill
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. charge — in control
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bowl — a dish

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