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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: ball · staff · wave · sharp · fall · craft · can · straw

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. can — to be able to
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. craft — boats
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ball — a great time
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fall — the season
  16. ball — a dance
  17. can — a tin
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fall — to drop
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. staff — employees
  22. can — a tin
  23. staff — employees
  24. fall — to drop

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