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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: craft · chest · stand · dip · toast · stick · hand · mouse

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — a box
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. hand — in cards
  8. craft — a skill
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. stand — to bear
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. hand — help
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. toast — bread
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. craft — a handicraft

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