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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: rash · chair · stand · straw · craft · wave · degree · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rash — hasty
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stand — to bear
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. chair — a leader
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mug — a face
  21. craft — boats
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rash — a series
  24. mug — a cup

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