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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — music
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stock — goods
  9. rock — a stone
  10. swing — music
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. swing — to play on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lean — thin
  23. craft — boats
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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