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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: wake · spell · dip · calf · tube · craft · bulb · straw

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — a trail
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. craft — boats
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. spell — magic
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. dip — to sink
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. straw — dry grass

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