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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. season — in sport
  8. rule — government
  9. kid — child
  10. bound — certain
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bound — tied together
  15. season — of the year
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. craft — boats
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rule — a law

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