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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: stem · straw · craft · leaves · game · wave · drill · bowl

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. game — a match
  6. drill — the tool
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. game — wild animals
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. craft — a skill
  13. drill — army training
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. leaves — to go away

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