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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 116 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. current — happening now
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. craft — boats
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. game — wild animals
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. root — of a plant
  13. current — of water
  14. root — of a word
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. root — the cause
  19. current — electric
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. game — a match
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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