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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. hand — in cards
  3. swing — to play on
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. current — of water
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. swing — music
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. swing — in golf
  17. current — electric
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. craft — a skill
  20. hand — help
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. current — happening now

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