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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rash — a series
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. craft — boats
  8. present — the time now
  9. wound — an injury
  10. snap — to click
  11. cue — for pool
  12. craft — a skill
  13. present — a gift
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bore — to tire
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rash — hasty

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