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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. swing — in golf
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — of a word
  8. craft — boats
  9. swing — music
  10. hand — help
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. hand — in cards
  20. snap — to click
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. swing — to play on
  24. craft — a skill

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