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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 124 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. craft — boats
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lean — thin
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. net — in sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. snap — to click
  14. wound — an injury
  15. net — after costs
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. net — for catching
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bass — the fish
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bass — low music

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