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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lean — thin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. craft — boats
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lean — to bend
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bat — for baseball

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