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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. swing — to play on
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fine — high quality
  7. craft — a skill
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. craft — boats
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. shower — rain
  17. fine — all right
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. swing — music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. swing — in golf
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. safe — a strongbox

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