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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. swing — in golf
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. net — in sport
  5. swing — music
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chest — of your body
  9. craft — a skill
  10. season — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. present — there
  15. chest — of your body
  16. branch — a division
  17. swing — to play on
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. present — a gift
  20. season — of the year
  21. present — the time now
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. craft — boats

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