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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. band — a music group
  11. rest — a break
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. craft — boats
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bass — low music
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ruler — a monarch

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