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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. fall — the season
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rest — a break
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rest — what's left
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fall — to drop
  15. file — a document
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. craft — boats
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. swing — to play on
  24. board — a committee

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