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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 the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. swing — to play on
  3. craft — boats
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. swing — in golf
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — for light
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. key — the most important part
  16. craft — a skill
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cue — a hint
  19. row — a line
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cue — a signal
  22. key — in music
  23. swing — music
  24. saw — the tool

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