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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. spell — letters
  4. current — happening now
  5. spring — the season
  6. land — a country
  7. current — of water
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. land — ground
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. craft — boats
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — of water
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. land — to come down
  19. mark — a grade
  20. current — electric
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mark — a trace
  24. spell — magic

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