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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.

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: chest · staff · perch · craft · mug · ball · stand · rash

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mug — a cup
  6. staff — employees
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. craft — a skill
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mug — a face
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rash — hasty
  17. craft — boats
  18. staff — employees
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. chest — a box
  24. perch — for a bird

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