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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hand — help
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lean — thin
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. swing — in golf
  22. craft — boats
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pound — a weight

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