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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. club — for dancing
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. craft — a skill
  7. last — final
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — a group
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. club — for golf
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. craft — boats
  17. firm — a company
  18. snap — to click

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