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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. craft — a skill

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