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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. saw — the tool
  3. swing — to play on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bulb — for light
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. key — the most important part
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chest — of your body
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. swing — music
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bulb — of a plant

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