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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. swing — to play on
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. swing — music
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. swing — in golf
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. tube — the underground
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. snap — to click
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tube — a container
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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