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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rock — a stone
  10. craft — boats
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rock — music
  15. lean — thin
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. lean — to bend
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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