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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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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: trunk · swing · straw · squash · roll · kick · craft · racket

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. swing — music
  11. kick — in football
  12. swing — to play on
  13. squash — the sport
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. swing — in golf
  22. roll — a list
  23. craft — boats
  24. kick — with a leg

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