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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. craft — a skill
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stand — to bear
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. squash — to crush
  13. court — of law
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wake — a trail
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. craft — boats
  22. current — electric
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. squash — the sport

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