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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pop — music
  6. craft — a skill
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bank — for money
  10. stem — to come from
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pop — soda
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bank — of a river
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lean — to bend
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lean — thin
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. sharp — clever
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. craft — boats
  24. pop — to visit

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