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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bound — tied together
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. tube — a container
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rock — a stone
  8. craft — boats
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cell — a phone
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rock — music
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. deal — to handle
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cell — in biology
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bound — certain

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