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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: chair · lie · craft · stick · pound · tube · swing · key

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pound — a weight
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. swing — to play on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — in music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. swing — music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. tube — a container
  16. swing — in golf
  17. craft — boats
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lie — to recline
  22. key — the most important part
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lie — an untruth

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