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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. craft — boats
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. craft — a skill
  5. last — to go on
  6. lean — thin
  7. net — for catching
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. net — after costs
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lean — to bend

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