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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. roll — a list
  6. track — a song
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. land — ground
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rock — music
  22. land — to come down
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. land — a country

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