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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. roll — a cake
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. craft — boats
  6. roll — a list
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wake — a trail
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. swing — music
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bass — low music

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