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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. lean — to bend
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. foot — a measure
  7. board — to get on
  8. cap — of ice
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. swing — music
  11. rash — a series
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. board — a committee
  21. lean — thin
  22. cap — a lid
  23. board — a flat piece
  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