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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · straw · lie · trunk · craft · swing · firm · foot

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. firm — a company
  5. craft — boats
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. firm — steady
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. firm — decided
  15. swing — in golf
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lie — to recline
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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