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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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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: straw · suit · craft · rash · cell · pass · firm · ground

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. craft — boats
  3. firm — steady
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cell — in biology
  6. ground — a position
  7. firm — a company
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. firm — decided
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rash — a series
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cell — a phone
  18. ground — the earth
  19. suit — clothes
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ground — crushed

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