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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. craft — boats
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mark — a grade
  18. craft — a skill
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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