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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: craft · pass · wave · object · straw · present

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. present — a gift
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. present — there
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. object — a thing
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. object — to protest
  14. craft — boats
  15. object — an aim
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. present — the time now
  18. craft — a skill

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