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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wound — an injury
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. craft — a skill
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. race — a contest
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. race — humankind
  21. craft — boats
  22. rock — music
  23. race — the arms race
  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