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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: snap · craft · stick · kick · straw · toast · rest · present

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. toast — bread
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. present — there
  7. snap — to click
  8. present — a gift
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. present — the time now
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rest — what's left
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. craft — boats
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. kick — in football
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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