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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bound — tied together
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. season — in sport
  5. capital — money
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bound — obliged
  10. spell — a short time
  11. degree — an amount
  12. spell — magic
  13. craft — boats
  14. shower — rain
  15. spell — letters
  16. season — of the year
  17. capital — a city
  18. shower — to wash
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bound — certain
  23. degree — temperature
  24. craft — a skill

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