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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. craft — a skill
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. craft — boats
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wave — with your hand

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