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

Word bank: bank · calf · craft · rash · fall · straw · hide · deal

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fall — the season
  4. bank — for money
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rash — a series
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bank — for money
  14. deal — to handle
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. craft — boats
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bank — of a river

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