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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: fine · craft · roll · hand · current · straw · lie · firm

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. firm — decided
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hand — in cards
  7. current — electric
  8. fine — all right
  9. roll — a cake
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. firm — steady
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. current — happening now
  15. hand — help
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. firm — a company
  19. craft — boats
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. roll — a list
  22. fine — high quality
  23. current — of water
  24. roll — on a roll

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