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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: swing · craft · chest · object · ruler · mate · club · leaves

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. swing — to play on
  3. club — a group
  4. mate — to breed
  5. chest — of your body
  6. object — an aim
  7. swing — music
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mate — a friend
  13. club — for dancing
  14. object — a thing
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. club — for golf
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mate — a partner
  20. object — to protest
  21. chest — a box
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ruler — for measuring

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