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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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. rest — what's left
  3. craft — a skill
  4. object — an aim
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to click
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. march — the month
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — a position
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. march — the month
  19. ball — a dance
  20. object — a thing
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — to protest
  24. rest — a break

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