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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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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: pass · chair · roll · fall · leaves · craft · snap · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fall — to drop
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. roll — a list
  6. craft — a skill
  7. swing — music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. snap — to click
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pass — a permit
  18. craft — boats
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fall — the season
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. swing — in golf
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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