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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bark — to shout
  6. swing — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. can — a tin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. craft — boats
  16. last — final
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. root — of a plant
  20. swing — to play on
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. last — finally
  23. can — a tin
  24. last — to go on

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