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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kick — in football
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rock — music
  11. firm — steady
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fall — the season
  15. swing — in golf
  16. spell — a short time
  17. squash — to crush
  18. craft — boats
  19. firm — a company
  20. squash — the sport
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fall — to drop
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. firm — decided

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