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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. swing — music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. file — a line of people
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. file — a tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tube — the underground
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. swing — in golf
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fall — the season
  17. tube — a container
  18. fall — to drop
  19. file — a document
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fall — to drop
  22. snap — to click
  23. craft — boats
  24. tube — in a tire

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