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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. shower — to wash
  3. spell — letters
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. press — to push
  8. spell — a short time
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. craft — a skill
  12. kick — in football
  13. shower — rain
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. press — newspapers
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bulb — for light
  18. craft — boats
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — a publisher
  23. spell — magic
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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