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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. craft — boats
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. craft — a skill
  14. chest — of your body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chest — a box
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. season — of the year

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