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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. saw — the tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. sharp — clever
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. saw — the tool
  14. craft — a skill
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. board — to get on
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. kid — to tease
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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