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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. rash — hasty
  5. tube — the underground
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. tube — a container
  10. rock — a stone
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rash — a series
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. bear — the animal

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