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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. craft — boats
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rest — a break
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bore — to tire
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rest — what's left
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bore — to drill
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pound — a weight

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