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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. craft — a skill
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. march — music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stand — to bear
  13. march — the month
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. craft — boats
  18. rash — a series
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. march — the month
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rash — on the skin

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