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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bulb — for light
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bulb — for light
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. craft — a skill

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