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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. swing — music
  3. chair — a leader
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. craft — boats
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. track — a path
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. craft — a skill
  24. tear — to rip

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