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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. march — music
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — boats
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bound — obliged
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. march — the month
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bound — certain
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bound — tied together
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. plane — a tool
  24. march — the month

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