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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stand — to bear
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. craft — boats
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. court — of a king

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