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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. craft — boats
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bound — tied together
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stand — to bear
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. last — to go on
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bound — obliged
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bound — certain
  24. straw — a straw man

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