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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wind — moving air
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to click
  6. club — for golf
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mate — to breed
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wind — moving air
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. club — a group
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. craft — boats
  24. mouse — 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