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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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. land — a country
  3. saw — the tool
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. craft — boats
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. land — to come down
  13. row — a line
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mark — a grade
  19. land — ground
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rock — music

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