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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bound — obliged
  4. capital — money
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bank — for money
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — tied together
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bound — certain
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bank — of a river
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wind — to turn a key

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