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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. current — happening now
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. craft — a skill
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mine — for digging
  18. board — to get on
  19. craft — boats
  20. current — electric
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. current — of water
  24. trunk — of a car

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