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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chest — a box
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rest — a break
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. chest — of your body
  12. craft — boats
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rest — what's left
  15. craft — a skill
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bass — low music
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bowl — a dish

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