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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pop — soda
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. content — the amount
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. swing — to play on
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. saw — the tool
  15. content — happy
  16. kid — to tease
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kid — child
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. craft — boats
  22. pop — music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — 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