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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. season — of the year
  6. club — a group
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. craft — a skill
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. club — for golf
  19. mark — a trace
  20. shower — rain
  21. bear — the animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. mark — a grade
  24. shower — to wash

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