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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lean — to bend
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. march — the month
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. snap — to click
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rest — a break
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. craft — boats
  24. lean — thin

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