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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 116 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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. snap — to click
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. kick — in football
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. craft — boats
  17. deal — to handle
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bore — to drill
  24. kick — with a leg

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