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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: last · fall · racket · file · wake · craft · roll · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. swing — music
  5. last — final
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. craft — boats
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fall — to drop
  12. roll — a cake
  13. file — a line of people
  14. swing — to play on
  15. fall — to drop
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fall — the season
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. file — a tool
  22. craft — a skill
  23. file — a document
  24. roll — a list

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