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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mark — a grade
  12. march — the month
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. craft — boats
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. straw — a straw man

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