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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · club · dip · craft · straw · lash · foot · hand

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. dip — to sink
  4. club — a group
  5. craft — boats
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bound — tied together
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. club — for golf
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. foot — a measure
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. craft — a skill
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bound — certain
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. club — for dancing

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