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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: stand · mug · bowl · hide · row · craft · kick · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — in football
  12. mug — a cup
  13. craft — boats
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. row — a line
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. craft — a skill
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bowl — a dish

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