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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: craft · wound · temple · swing · mine · suit · bass · rush

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bass — low music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. swing — music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mine — for digging
  9. suit — clothes
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — in cards
  12. craft — boats
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bass — the fish
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rush — hurry
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wound — an injury

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