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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. band — a ring
  3. hand — in cards
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. swing — music
  8. craft — a skill
  9. band — a music group
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — hurry
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bank — for money
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. craft — boats
  24. charge — electricity

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