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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — music
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. root — of a word
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. root — of a plant
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wind — moving air
  20. foot — a measure
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. root — the cause
  23. file — a document
  24. swing — to play on

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