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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: straw · cabinet · rule · cell · craft · plane · swing · hand

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. hand — in cards
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rule — a law
  6. hand — help
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. cell — in biology
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. swing — music
  18. craft — boats
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cell — a phone

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