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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — a committee
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stem — to come from
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rash — a series
  19. craft — boats
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. board — to get on
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. craft — a handicraft

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