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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — high quality
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. craft — boats
  16. dip — to sink
  17. board — a committee
  18. craft — a skill
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. board — to get on
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. craft — a handicraft

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