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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: saw · pitcher · straw · leaves · dip · craft · bulb · wave

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. dip — to sink
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bulb — for light
  14. craft — boats
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. craft — a skill
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bulb — of a plant

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