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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: kid · straw · stick · dip · craft · fall · roll · deal

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kid — to tease
  4. roll — a cake
  5. kid — child
  6. fall — the season
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fall — to drop
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. dip — to sink
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. craft — boats
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — to handle
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. dip — a sauce

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