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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wind — moving air
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stand — to bear
  6. craft — a skill
  7. object — to protest
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. track — a song
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cap — a lid
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wind — moving air
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. track — a path
  22. object — a thing
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. object — an aim

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