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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. file — a document
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. file — a tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rush — hurry
  19. craft — boats
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. snap — to click
  22. cue — a signal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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