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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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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: foot · swing · wound · bank · craft · leaves · straw · mate

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wound — an injury
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bank — for money
  11. craft — a skill
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. swing — music
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mate — a partner
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bank — for money
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. swing — to play on

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