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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bound — obliged
  10. craft — boats
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bound — certain
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. straw — a straw man

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