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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: ground · spell · calf · row · straw · can · craft · bear

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. can — a tin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. spell — a short time
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bear — the animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. can — to be able to
  14. craft — a skill
  15. row — to paddle
  16. spell — magic
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. craft — boats
  19. spell — letters
  20. can — a tin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. row — a line
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ground — crushed

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