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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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468
Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. swing — music
  3. craft — boats
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bank — for money
  10. wake — a trail
  11. kid — child
  12. spell — magic
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spell — letters
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bank — for money
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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