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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wax — to grow
  5. swing — in golf
  6. craft — boats
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chip — for betting
  9. date — the fruit
  10. press — to push
  11. roll — a list
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chip — to eat
  17. press — newspapers
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. craft — a skill
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. press — a publisher
  24. swing — music

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