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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 124 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. degree — temperature
  4. craft — boats
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. craft — a skill
  19. board — a committee
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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