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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. craft — a skill
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. board — a committee
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. sharp — clever
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — to get on
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fan — a supporter

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