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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. swing — in golf
  3. craft — a skill
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. swing — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rock — a stone
  17. swing — to play on
  18. press — to push
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. squash — to crush

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