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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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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: wound · jam · swing · craft · rush · snap · wave · rock

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rock — a stone
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. snap — to click
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. swing — to play on
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wound — an injury
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. craft — boats
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. swing — music
  23. wave — of the sea
  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