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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. craft — a skill
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. snap — to click
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. craft — boats
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. ball — a dance

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