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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. craft — a skill
  3. last — final
  4. row — a line
  5. cap — of ice
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — finally
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bank — for money
  18. craft — boats
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. last — to go on
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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