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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. suit — to fit
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. suit — clothes
  5. swing — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. swing — to play on
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lean — to bend
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wind — moving air
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. craft — boats
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — thin
  24. jam — a tight spot

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