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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. saw — the tool
  3. march — the month
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. craft — boats
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ball — a great time
  12. current — of water
  13. firm — a company
  14. ball — a dance
  15. craft — a skill
  16. march — the month
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. march — music
  20. current — happening now
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. current — electric
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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