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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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. pass — to spend time
  3. cue — a hint
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rest — a break
  7. cue — for pool
  8. chair — a leader
  9. can — a tin
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. net — after costs
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. craft — boats
  18. can — to be able to
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. net — in sport
  22. cue — a signal
  23. net — for catching
  24. can — a tin

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