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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. craft — boats
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. swing — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bore — to tire
  24. swing — in golf

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