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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. suit — in cards
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. foot — a measure
  6. craft — boats
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. spring — of water
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. snap — to click
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — to grow
  24. suit — to fit

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