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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: firm · lie · craft · roll · row · stand · trunk · mug

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. row — a line
  5. firm — decided
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. roll — a cake
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mug — to rob
  16. firm — a company
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. roll — a list
  24. stand — on your feet

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