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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. bass — the fish
  7. land — a country
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chest — of your body
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. swing — in golf
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. craft — boats
  21. chest — a box
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. swing — music
  24. craft — a handicraft

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