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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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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: racket · craft · march · hide · swing · chair · bore · snap

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — to play on
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. craft — boats
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. march — the month
  10. swing — music
  11. bore — to drill
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — to tire
  16. swing — in golf
  17. craft — a skill
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. march — the month
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. snap — to click
  24. march — music

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