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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. craft — a skill
  3. suit — to fit
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. suit — clothes
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cell — in biology
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. craft — boats
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cell — a phone
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. suit — in cards
  16. date — the fruit
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. swing — music
  24. tube — a container

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