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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: capital · straw · present · kick · mug · craft · toast · snap

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. craft — a skill
  3. capital — money
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. kick — in football
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. present — a gift
  10. mug — a face
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. craft — boats
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. present — the time now
  15. mug — to rob
  16. toast — bread
  17. mug — a cup
  18. present — there
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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