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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: saw · straw · chest · race · perch · craft · face · cue

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. face — part of the head
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. saw — the tool
  5. race — humankind
  6. cue — a signal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. perch — the fish
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cue — a hint
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. craft — boats
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chest — of your body
  19. face — to confront
  20. cue — for pool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. race — a contest
  23. chest — of your body
  24. face — to point toward

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