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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. craft — boats
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. straw — dry grass

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