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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. craft — a skill
  3. can — to be able to
  4. swing — in golf
  5. craft — boats
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. swing — music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spell — letters
  15. swing — to play on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rush — hurry
  21. can — a tin
  22. land — a country
  23. can — a tin
  24. spell — magic

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