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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: craft · saw · bear · game · swing · lash · bass · land

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — in golf
  6. land — to come down
  7. bass — the fish
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. saw — the tool
  11. land — ground
  12. game — wild animals
  13. craft — boats
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. craft — a skill
  18. swing — music
  19. land — a country
  20. bass — low music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. craft — a handicraft

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