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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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468
Word bank
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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: club · face · jam · swing · craft · wound · object · drill

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. object — a thing
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. swing — in golf
  5. drill — the tool
  6. swing — music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. swing — to play on
  9. craft — boats
  10. drill — army training
  11. club — a group
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. object — to protest
  16. drill — a practice
  17. face — to point toward
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. object — an aim
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. craft — a skill
  24. face — part of the head

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