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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. roll — a list
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. craft — a skill
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. craft — boats
  11. roll — a cake
  12. lean — to bend
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — rain
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lean — thin
  23. wind — moving air
  24. season — of the year

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