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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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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: wake · ball · swing · bore · shower · deal · fall · craft

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fall — to drop
  5. deal — to handle
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wake — a trail
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. shower — rain
  17. craft — boats
  18. bore — to tire
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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