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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. craft — a skill
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. scale — in music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. swing — music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. sharp — exactly

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