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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · lean · stick · chip · swing · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. lean — to bend
  3. swing — music
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lean — thin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chip — to eat
  9. swing — to play on
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. deal — to handle
  14. craft — boats
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. swing — in golf
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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