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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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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. swing — music
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. swing — to play on
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. shower — rain
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cap — of ice
  17. craft — a skill
  18. shower — to wash

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