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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. track — a song
  4. lean — thin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spring — the season
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mug — to rob
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mug — a face
  16. spring — of water
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. craft — a skill
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. craft — boats
  23. track — a path
  24. spring — a coil

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