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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: rule · stick · swing · craft · last · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. craft — boats
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rule — government
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rule — a law
  15. last — finally
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. swing — music

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