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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: swing · bay · wake · rush · craft · leaves · sharp · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. craft — boats
  12. rush — hurry
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. swing — in golf
  22. sharp — clever
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. swing — 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