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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 116 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 · face · wound · swing · ground · tube · leaves · pop

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. ground — crushed
  3. craft — a skill
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ground — the earth
  6. tube — a container
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. swing — music
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — to play on
  19. face — to point toward
  20. craft — boats
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ground — a position
  24. tube — in a tire

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