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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 120 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: craft · swing · pop · mouse · tear · fine · kick · fan

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pop — music
  4. kick — in football
  5. tear — to rip
  6. craft — boats
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. swing — in golf
  12. tear — from crying
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pop — soda
  16. swing — music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pop — to visit
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mouse — for a computer

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