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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chest — a box
  15. mark — a trace
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stock — goods
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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