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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. craft — boats
  3. kick — in football
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. track — a song
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hand — help
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. court — for sport
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. court — of a king
  19. track — a path
  20. craft — a skill
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. court — of law
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. lean — thin

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