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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. plane — a tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. fine — all right
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fine — high quality
  18. snap — to click
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. drill — army training
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. craft — boats

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