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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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. bowl — a dish
  3. tube — the underground
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. snap — to click
  7. craft — boats
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cap — a lid
  12. kid — to tease
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. firm — steady
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cap — of ice
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. tube — a container
  23. chair — a leader
  24. kid — child

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