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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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. tube — a container
  3. snap — to click
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. key — in music
  7. pop — music
  8. pound — a weight
  9. craft — boats
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. craft — a skill
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. tube — the underground
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pop — soda
  24. sharp — clever

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