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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rest — a break
  4. charge — a price
  5. craft — a skill
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bank — for money
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — from crying
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bank — for money
  19. craft — boats
  20. charge — in control
  21. ball — a dance
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mug — a cup

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