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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. season — in sport
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. shower — to wash
  8. season — of the year
  9. ground — a position
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. shower — rain
  12. ground — crushed
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. craft — boats
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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