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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: staff · chest · craft · firm · mine · wave · swing · fine

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. firm — a company
  4. chest — of your body
  5. craft — boats
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. swing — in golf
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. firm — decided
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mine — for digging
  18. staff — a stick
  19. swing — music
  20. fine — all right
  21. chest — a box
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fine — high quality

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