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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. date — the fruit
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. craft — boats
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bound — obliged
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fall — to drop
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fall — the season
  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