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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. craft — a skill
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fall — the season
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fall — to drop
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. staff — employees
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. staff — employees
  24. craft — boats

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