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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. can — a tin
  3. swing — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. swing — in golf
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. root — of a word
  8. swing — to play on
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. can — a tin
  11. craft — a skill
  12. toast — bread
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. chest — of your body
  16. drill — the tool
  17. root — the cause
  18. can — to be able to
  19. chest — of your body
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wake — a trail
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. root — of a plant
  24. craft — boats

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