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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pop — music
  4. board — to get on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. race — the arms race
  12. craft — boats
  13. race — a contest
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. race — humankind
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. board — a committee

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