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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: hide · perch · toast · straw · ground · stand · fall · craft

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. craft — boats
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. toast — bread
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. perch — the fish
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ground — the earth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — to bear
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. craft — a skill
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stand — for spectators

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