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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fine — high quality
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bark — to shout
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ground — a position
  11. fine — all right
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pass — a permit
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pound — a weight

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