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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: stick · ball · rule · hide · fan · straw · content · craft

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. craft — a skill
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rule — government
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. craft — boats
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rule — a law

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