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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. vault — a safe
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pop — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pop — soda
  13. craft — boats
  14. pop — to visit
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kick — in football
  24. bear — the animal

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