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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. snap — to click
  4. current — happening now
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fall — the season
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. kick — in football
  10. swing — to play on
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. fall — to drop
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mug — a cup
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. craft — boats
  24. mug — a face

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