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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. kid — to tease
  3. chip — to eat
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mug — to rob
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. craft — boats
  9. mug — a cup
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mug — a face
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. kid — child
  14. snap — to click
  15. craft — a skill
  16. perch — the fish
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. chip — for betting
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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