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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. march — the month
  5. swing — music
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. swing — in golf
  9. craft — boats
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. can — a tin
  12. swing — to play on
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. march — the month
  15. lie — to recline
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. can — a tin
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — to be able to
  23. march — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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