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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cue — a signal
  4. track — a path
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. shower — to wash
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. craft — boats
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. shower — rain
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. track — a song

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