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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bulb — for light
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. staff — employees
  5. dip — to sink
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. saw — the tool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. spell — letters
  11. staff — employees
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spell — magic
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spell — a short time
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. craft — boats
  24. leaves — to go away

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