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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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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: wave · fan · bank · fall · craft · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fall — the season
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fall — to drop
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bank — for money
  10. craft — boats
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bank — of a river
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bank — for money
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fall — to drop

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