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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: bore · craft · bowl · bass · chair · straw · lash · wave

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. craft — boats
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lash — to lash out

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