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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 116 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: cabinet · bay · stick · coach · hand · craft · stand · bat

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. hand — help
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. hand — in cards
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. craft — boats
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bat — the animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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