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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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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: stand · jam · cabinet · snap · perch · straw · craft · land

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. craft — a skill
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — to come down
  8. snap — to click
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. perch — the fish
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stand — to bear
  21. craft — boats
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. jam — a tight spot

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