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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: roll · mug · cabinet · craft · bay · kick · squash · stand

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kick — in football
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mug — to rob
  10. roll — a list
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mug — a face
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. squash — the sport
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — to crush
  19. roll — a cake
  20. craft — boats
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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