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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.

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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. craft — boats
  5. wake — a trail
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — a break
  9. foot — a measure
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fall — the season
  18. rest — what's left

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