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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fall — the season
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. snap — to click
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. dip — to sink
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mine — for digging
  19. perch — the fish
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. craft — boats
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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