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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. swing — music
  6. file — a document
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bass — the fish
  9. craft — a skill
  10. firm — decided
  11. craft — boats
  12. file — a tool
  13. swing — to play on
  14. firm — steady
  15. root — of a word
  16. mark — a grade
  17. file — a line of people
  18. tear — from crying
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bass — low music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. root — the cause
  24. firm — a company

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