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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. swing — to play on
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a great time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. season — in sport
  18. swing — in golf
  19. craft — a skill
  20. ball — a dance
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. swing — music
  23. season — of the year
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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