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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: object · rest · cabinet · snap · temple · swing · craft · file

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. snap — to click
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rest — what's left
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. file — a line of people
  7. swing — music
  8. craft — boats
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. file — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rest — what's left
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rest — a break
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. object — to protest
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. craft — a skill
  19. object — a thing
  20. swing — in golf
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a document
  23. object — an aim
  24. cabinet — ministers

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