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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: board · chest · swing · rock · season · bay · arm · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. swing — music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. craft — a skill
  5. season — of the year
  6. rock — a stone
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. board — a committee
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. board — to get on
  15. craft — boats
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chest — a box
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rock — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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