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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: spring · present · lie · swing · mug · can · rule · craft

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. can — a tin
  3. mug — a cup
  4. present — there
  5. can — to be able to
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lie — to recline
  9. spring — of water
  10. craft — boats
  11. present — the time now
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rule — a law
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mug — a face
  16. rule — government
  17. spring — a coil
  18. swing — music
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. can — a tin
  22. present — a gift
  23. spring — the season
  24. swing — in golf

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