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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — the sport
  4. present — the time now
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. craft — boats
  7. band — a music group
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. present — there
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. band — a ring
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fall — to drop
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. craft — a skill
  18. present — a gift
  19. squash — to crush
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fall — the season
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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