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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bound — certain
  8. band — a music group
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fall — to drop
  13. craft — boats
  14. bound — obliged
  15. last — final
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fall — the season
  18. last — to go on
  19. bound — tied together
  20. band — a ring
  21. fall — to drop
  22. last — finally
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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