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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rash — hasty
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lie — to recline
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. saw — the tool
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. saw — the tool
  13. craft — boats
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stand — to bear
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rash — a series
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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