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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: stand · stick · arm · fine · craft · hand · wound · kid

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wound — an injury
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fine — all right
  12. craft — boats
  13. kid — child
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. kid — to tease
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hand — help

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