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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · stand · squash · straw · branch · bay · craft · hand

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. file — a tool
  4. stand — to bear
  5. hand — help
  6. file — a document
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. branch — a division
  12. file — a line of people
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. hand — in cards
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. craft — boats

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