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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · current · dip · foot · straw · coach · bound · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. current — happening now
  3. dip — to sink
  4. object — a thing
  5. craft — a skill
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bound — certain
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. object — an aim
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. object — to protest
  14. current — of water
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — electric
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. foot — a measure
  24. dip — to dunk

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