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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. net — in sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — for catching
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — to keep track
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rush — hurry
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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