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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fine — all right
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fine — high quality
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. craft — a skill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tear — to rip
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lean — thin
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cue — for pool
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cue — a hint
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. craft — boats

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