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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. swing — to play on
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mug — a face
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mug — a cup
  7. shower — rain
  8. spell — a short time
  9. swing — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spell — letters
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. spell — magic
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mug — to rob

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