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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. land — a country
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. object — an aim
  7. pitch — completely
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. land — to come down
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. craft — boats
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. craft — a skill
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. land — ground

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