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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. march — the month
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mug — a face
  5. bulb — for light
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. march — the month
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. drill — the tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mug — a cup
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. bulb — for light
  21. craft — boats
  22. lean — to bend
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. march — 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