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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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Word bank
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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. current — of water
  4. swing — in golf
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. swing — music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cold — not warm
  9. lie — to recline
  10. current — electric
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. swing — to play on
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. craft — boats
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. craft — a skill
  19. toast — bread
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cold — an illness
  22. current — happening now
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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