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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kid — to tease
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rock — music
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. craft — a skill
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lie — to recline
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. root — of a word
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. fine — high quality
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. root — the cause

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