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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. fall — to drop
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rule — a law
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. craft — boats
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. snap — to click
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fall — the season
  20. rule — government
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rule — to rule out

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