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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. suit — to fit
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. roll — a list
  8. suit — in cards
  9. game — a match
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. roll — a cake
  15. craft — a skill
  16. deal — to handle
  17. craft — boats
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. snap — to click
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wound — an injury

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