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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: hand · craft · stick · straw · lie · rock · vault · fan

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rock — a stone
  6. hand — in cards
  7. craft — boats
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hand — help
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. vault — a safe
  15. lie — to recline
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rock — music

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