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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.

Words on the sheet
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: wave · leaves · mark · mug · craft · stick · swing · bound

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. swing — music
  3. craft — boats
  4. mug — a face
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bound — certain
  7. mug — to rob
  8. swing — to play on
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bound — tied together
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mug — a cup
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mark — a grade
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. swing — in golf
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mark — a trace

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