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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cap — a hat
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. craft — boats
  11. season — of the year
  12. swing — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. saw — the tool
  22. season — in sport
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bulb — of a plant

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