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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. staff — a stick
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. staff — employees
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. staff — employees
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cell — in biology
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pass — a permit
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mine — belonging to me

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