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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. craft — a skill
  4. present — there
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. present — a gift
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. roll — a list
  13. rule — government
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. craft — boats
  16. present — the time now
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rule — a law
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. roll — a cake

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