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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 have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. game — a match
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. snap — to click
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rash — a series
  13. bound — tied together
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bound — certain
  17. rash — hasty
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. craft — boats
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bound — obliged

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