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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stand — to bear
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — boats
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rest — a break
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. craft — a handicraft

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