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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 120 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.

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: chair · craft · fine · wound · dip · shower · rash · swing

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rash — a series
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. swing — music
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rash — hasty
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fine — all right
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. craft — boats
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. craft — a skill
  24. chair — a leader

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