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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: ground · craft · spell · straw · wave · lash · object · fork

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. object — an aim
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. object — to protest
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. spell — a short time
  22. object — a thing
  23. spell — magic
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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