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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: kick · craft · roll · wake · stem · present · mug · straw

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. roll — a cake
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. kick — in football
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mug — a face
  17. present — there
  18. craft — a skill
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. present — the time now
  21. roll — a list
  22. craft — boats
  23. mug — a cup
  24. present — a gift

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