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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 116 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: straw · lash · craft · bound · shower · plane

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bound — certain
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. shower — rain
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. shower — to wash
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. craft — boats
  18. bound — obliged

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