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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. swing — music
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. row — to paddle
  10. swing — to play on
  11. craft — a skill
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. tube — the underground
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. dip — to sink
  17. swing — in golf
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. tube — a container
  20. saw — the tool
  21. row — a line
  22. craft — boats
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. dip — a sauce

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