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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bank — for money
  11. cue — a hint
  12. spring — the season
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bear — the animal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. swing — to play on
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bank — for money
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. swing — music
  23. spring — of water
  24. craft — a handicraft

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