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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: plane · coach · craft · rule · wake · cabinet · face · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. face — part of the head
  6. craft — a skill
  7. face — to confront
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. plane — a tool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wake — a trail

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