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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 116 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. The water is too ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cold — not warm
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cue — a signal
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. plane — a tool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cold — an illness
  10. season — in sport
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. swing — in golf
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. drill — army training
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. season — of the year

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