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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. craft — boats
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. craft — a skill
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kid — child
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fall — the season
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. foot — a measure

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