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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. kick — in football
  4. ground — a position
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mug — a face
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mug — a cup
  15. craft — a skill
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cue — a signal
  19. craft — boats
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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