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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. craft — a skill
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chip — for betting
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. plane — a tool
  18. chip — to eat
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rush — hurry

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