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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. file — a document
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. plane — a tool
  10. spell — magic
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rule — a law
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. spell — letters
  18. bear — the animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bear — the animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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