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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: content · sharp · swing · chest · bound · wave · craft · rock

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rock — a stone
  5. craft — boats
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bound — obliged
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. chest — a box
  16. content — happy
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. craft — a skill
  19. chest — of your body
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. sharp — exactly

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