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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chip — for betting
  8. kick — in football
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bear — the animal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. craft — boats
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stand — for spectators

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