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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. dip — to sink
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. snap — to click
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. deal — to handle
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. craft — boats
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. date — the fruit
  21. craft — a skill
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wave — of the sea

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