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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bark — to shout
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. swing — to play on
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pass — a permit
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. swing — music
  19. craft — boats
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chip — for betting
  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