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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. march — the month
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. craft — boats
  6. season — of the year
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. march — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. march — the month
  18. cold — an illness
  19. plane — a tool
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. season — to add flavour

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