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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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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: club · straw · stem · row · safe · cap · craft · kick

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cap — a lid
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cap — of ice
  15. kick — in football
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. craft — boats
  21. row — a line
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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