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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.

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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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 — boats
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mark — a trace
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — a grade
  7. staff — employees
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. staff — employees
  12. craft — a skill
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. staff — a stick
  21. vault — a safe
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to click
  24. prune — to trim

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