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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mate — to breed
  12. craft — boats
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. craft — a skill
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wind — moving air
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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