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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rash — a series
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. plane — a tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. swing — music
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. craft — boats
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. swing — to play on
  24. plane — in geometry

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