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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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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: wave · craft · track · hand · staff · swing · cap · rest

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. hand — help
  4. staff — employees
  5. track — a song
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. swing — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hand — in cards
  18. staff — a stick
  19. swing — to play on
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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