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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. craft — boats
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bulb — for light
  7. swing — in golf
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. game — a match
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. swing — music
  13. rash — a series
  14. game — wild animals
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rash — hasty
  24. swing — to play on

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