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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. swing — in golf
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. craft — a skill
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rock — music
  12. craft — boats
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. swing — music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stem — to come from
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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