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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: coach · straw · craft · lie · stand · clip · perch · deal

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stand — to bear
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. clip — a video
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. clip — for paper
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. clip — to cut
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. deal — to handle
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. craft — boats
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lie — to recline
  24. perch — the fish

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