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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: craft · stem · wind · straw · rest · fan · hide · coach

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rest — a break
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wind — moving air
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wind — moving air
  15. craft — boats
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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