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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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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: swing · suit · tear · snap · craft · spell · wave · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tear — to rip
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. snap — to click
  8. craft — boats
  9. swing — in golf
  10. shower — rain
  11. tear — from crying
  12. suit — to fit
  13. craft — a skill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spell — a short time
  16. suit — in cards
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. spell — magic
  20. suit — clothes
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. spell — letters
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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