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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: lash · calf · wave · straw · lie · club · land · craft

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. land — to come down
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. craft — boats
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. club — for golf
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. club — a group
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — ground
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. club — for dancing
  24. land — a country

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