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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. scale — size or range
  3. drill — the tool
  4. scale — in music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. craft — boats
  16. kid — to tease
  17. craft — a skill
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. drill — army training
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. kid — child
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bowl — a dish

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