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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. roll — a cake
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. deal — to handle
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. present — the time now
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. roll — a list
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pass — a permit
  17. present — a gift
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. present — there
  24. leaves — to go away

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