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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. swing — music
  3. craft — boats
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. firm — decided
  6. current — happening now
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. craft — a skill
  9. current — electric
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. swing — in golf
  12. dip — to sink
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. firm — a company
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. firm — steady
  20. swing — to play on
  21. current — of water
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. dip — a sauce

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