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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: saw · key · snap · bear · craft · swing · board · rash

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. craft — boats
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. bear — the animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rash — hasty
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. board — to get on
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rash — a series
  17. key — in music
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. swing — in golf
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. swing — music
  24. key — for a lock

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