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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. chair — a leader
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. shower — rain
  13. spell — magic
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — high quality
  16. craft — boats
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. craft — a skill
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fine — all right

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