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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. key — in music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. bass — the fish
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bass — low music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cap — a lid
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. spell — magic
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. arm — a part of something

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