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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. snap — to click
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bat — the animal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rock — music
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. craft — boats
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. swing — to play on
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. swing — music
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rock — a 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