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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bore — to drill
  5. club — a group
  6. bore — to tire
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. rash — a series
  10. club — for dancing
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — bread
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. scale — in music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. scale — size or range
  20. club — for golf
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. craft — a skill
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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