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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rest — a break
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. craft — boats
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. craft — a skill
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. snap — to click
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. clip — a video
  23. rest — what's left
  24. clip — to cut

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