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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. root — the cause
  3. swing — music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chest — of your body
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. chest — a box
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. root — of a word
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. clip — a video
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. clip — to cut
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. craft — boats

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