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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mug — a face
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. bank — for money
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. key — in music
  11. mug — to rob
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bank — for money
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mug — a cup
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. swing — music

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