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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. file — a tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mug — a face
  7. spring — the season
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. craft — a skill
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. can — a tin
  18. craft — boats
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mug — a cup
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. file — a document
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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