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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pass — a permit
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. land — ground
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. land — a country
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. land — to come down
  16. fall — to drop
  17. craft — boats
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fall — the season
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. straw — a straw man

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