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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 120 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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. board — to get on
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. board — a committee
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. craft — boats
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. saw — the tool
  20. court — of law
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. court — for sport
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. court — of a king

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