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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. craft — a skill
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. race — humankind
  15. can — a tin
  16. mark — a trace
  17. court — of a king
  18. craft — boats
  19. can — to be able to
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — animal skin

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