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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bark — to shout
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pit — in a race
  9. craft — boats
  10. current — happening now
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pit — a hole
  13. plane — a tool
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. current — electric
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mate — a friend
  20. current — of water
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mate — to breed
  24. saw — the tool

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