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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: rest · saw · straw · trunk · root · wound · mug · craft

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rest — what's left
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mug — a face
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mug — a cup
  9. root — the cause
  10. saw — the tool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. craft — boats
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. root — of a word
  16. rest — a break
  17. craft — a skill
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mug — to rob
  22. root — of a plant
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wound — an injury

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