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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — a thing
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rock — music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rock — a stone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. object — to protest
  10. can — a tin
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. drill — army training
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. drill — the tool
  17. perch — the fish
  18. drill — a practice
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. object — an aim
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. craft — a skill

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