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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · spell · plane · fall · game · swing · bowl · cabinet

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. swing — in golf
  4. spell — magic
  5. craft — a skill
  6. plane — a tool
  7. game — a match
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spell — letters
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fall — the season
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. game — wild animals
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fall — to drop
  23. craft — boats
  24. game — a kind of play

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