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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lean · swing · shower · cap · sharp · craft · bear · wound

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. craft — boats
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. shower — rain
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wound — an injury
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. shower — to wash
  21. lean — thin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bear — the animal

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