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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. craft — boats
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. branch — a division
  11. track — a path
  12. rush — hurry
  13. toast — bread
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. snap — to click
  21. pass — a permit
  22. track — a song
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. craft — a handicraft

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