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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — for digging
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. capital — a city
  8. toast — bread
  9. craft — boats
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wake — a trail
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fall — to drop
  22. capital — money
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fall — the season

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