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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 116 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: leaves · craft · suit · face · spring · rush · straw · hand

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rush — hurry
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spring — of water
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. craft — a skill
  18. suit — clothes
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spring — the season
  22. craft — boats
  23. face — part of the head
  24. hand — help

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