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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 116 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 need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. craft — boats
  6. snap — to click
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pop — soda
  11. stock — shares
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stock — goods
  14. craft — a skill
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. saw — the tool

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