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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: straw · ball · craft · bound · bore · rock · last · lash

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rock — music
  3. ball — a dance
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bore — to drill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. last — to go on
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bound — certain
  14. last — final
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. last — finally
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bound — obliged
  22. craft — boats
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. ball — a great time

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